Repsol Honda has become the second team to reveal its 2019 MotoGP livery in a launch event in Madrid in the presence of the riders and the team management.
The Honda RCV213V MotoGP bike was revealed by riders Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo in the presence of Team Manager Alberto Puig, HRC’s GM Race Operations’ Tetsuhiro Kuwata and HRC’s GM Administration’s Shigehisa Fujita.
The colour scheme of the bike remains the same as we have seen traditionally with the combination of white along with two shades of orange – one lighter and the other darker. The event also had Honda legends Mick Doohan and Alex Criville.
Lorenzo made it to the event despite the surgery he had on Monday for breaking the scaphoid on his left wrist. The Spaniard finally made his first official public appearance in Honda colours but he will have to wait to ride the 2019 machine.
The surgery means he will race against the time to be ready for not only the Qatar MotoGP test but also the season-opener as he is certain to miss the Sepang run. Meanwhile, teammate Marc Marquez will be ready for the first test after his shoulder surgery in December.
Honda will hope that LCR Cal Crutchlow is fully recovered too to ride the 2019 machinery – now that Jorge Lorenzo is certain to miss. At this juncture, Takaaki Nakagami is the only rider in the Honda ranks to be fully fit but the Japanese rider is scheduled to ride the 2018 bike.
“It is a privilege to be part of the family that is the Repsol Honda team,” said Marquez. “When I was young and when I watched races from the sofa at my house I wanted to be here wearing these colours.
“It was a privilege to start collaborating with Repsol and have their support in the Spanish Championship and, later, to work with them in the World Championship. And now I’m here, helping Repsol and Honda win more titles, making their history even more successful.
“It’s something that makes me very happy. When I was in Moto2 I knew that I wanted to ride for Repsol Honda and I wanted to win the MotoGP title. That’s why, when journalists ask me if I’m going to change teams, I think: why would I change if I’m already part of this incredible team?
“Here we are a family, the relationship with Repsol and Honda is fantastic and this is something very important for achieving our goals, year after year. I hope that by the end of 2019 we can celebrate something beautiful together.”
New teammate Lorenzo added: “Repsol Honda are on a different level in every way. I could see it at the Valencia test, when I had many people around me listening to what I was saying. It is a dream for any rider to be part of this team.
“I am very demanding on myself and always try to get the best out of each situation. I want to repay the team for all the trust they have given me with good results. I am very proud to be on a team with as many victories and as much history as Repsol Honda.
“I like the bike a lot, it turns in very well and is very docile. In addition, the team gave me a very warm welcome from my first day here. My main objective for 2019 is, first of all, to recover one hundred percent and be able to demonstrate on track that we really are the Dream Team that people are talking about.”
And now we're getting some more thoughts from the 2019 dream team, @marcmarquez93 and @lorenzo99.
Hear their thoughts 🗣️ https://t.co/fFDmJ6p4gg#25RepsolHonda pic.twitter.com/vJJH6o0UG4
— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) January 23, 2019
Past. Present. Future. #25RepsolHonda
If you missed the launch you can watch it back to find out what @marcmarquez93, @lorenzo99, @micksdoohan and @criville_alex think: https://t.co/fFDmJ6p4gg pic.twitter.com/egmoaunqG1
— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) January 23, 2019
A special day as we welcomed @lorenzo99 to the Repsol Honda Team alongside @marcmarquez93.
From @micksdoohan and @criville_alex to now, @box_repsol and HRC have dominated @MotoGP like no others. #25RepsolHonda
Rewatch the launch here: https://t.co/fFDmJ6p4gg pic.twitter.com/vy0J10aOr5
— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) January 23, 2019
2019 launches so far: